Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1887-04-02
Castor Esean Culture.

In.
Castor Bean Culture.
Chicago Tribune.
A soil that will answer for wheat
or corn will suffice for the castor
bean. Wet, heavy soils cannot be util-
led. The sandy loan is always pref
cradle. It has been demonstrated that
as fertilizer the raising of castor beans
on land has no equal. It far surpasses
clover, and is worth more than can be es-
timated to each acre planted to it. It is
clained that pestiferous insects, which
have been the dread of Egyptian wheat
raisers, have been eradicated by the Gull
ture of the bean. Soil for the planting
of beans should be prepared about the
same as for corn OF wheat. The ground
is laid off in rows six feet apart, the sew
enth row being omitted to allow We
hicle to pass through to gather the
beans when ripe.
The seeds are put into very warm wa
ter and allowed to remain twenty four
hours before being put into the gr ,und.
Unless this is done they do not germin-
ate properly, and are long time SHOW
ing themselves above the ground. Some
people take the precaution to put several
unsoake1 seeds into hill for fear the
cut worms may take the first to sprout,
and the others will eventually take their
place. Planting eight seeds to hill, g
bushel will plant fifteen to twenty acres,
and the planting should be done after
frost time, as frost quickly destroys the
plant The cultivation of the growing
crop is about the same as corn, the
weeds being destroyed and the earth
kept open and mellow. When the plants
have good start, reduce the number in
each hill to one or two. One strong,
healthy plant will produce better results
than two in the same hill. When the
plant reaches the height OF two feet, it is
capable OF it's own care, and needs no
more attention, except after heavy rains,
which makes it necessary to 60 through
the field with cultivator.
When August comes in the beans
begin to npen. They are produced in
pods or husks on spikes of various
lengths, and should be gathered az soon
as the pods begin to turn brown, to pre-
vent their loss by popping out on the
ground, as beans when ripe pop, or burst,
from the pod and fly off quite distance.
They are gathered by cutting off the en-
tire spike, of which each plant has num-
Der, being produced and ripened in sue
cession until frost. OF course none but
the brown pods are cut.
These spikes are then thrown into q
wagon or sled passing through the broad
rows, and hauled away to the popping
yard, which is made on piece of land
near the bean field, sloping to the south,
so as to get as much benefit from the sun
as possible. There are two WAYS of max
ing the popping yards. By some the
sod is cut off and the ground rolled
down hard, and fence made around
the yard to keep the popping bean from
getting away. Another plan and that
is considered best-is to build big floor,
around which muslin or canvas to the
height Of ten feet is run, the top being
left open to admit the sun. The spikes
are placed on the floor; the action of the
sun makes them pop, and they are kept
turned and stirred up until the beans
have all left the husks. The same pro-
cess is gone through with until the entire
crop has been shelled. Care must be
taken not to allow the beans to get wet, as
Is ruins them. The mass OF husks and
beans after the popping process is over
is put into q tanning mill and cleaned,
when the beans are ready for market.
Board floors are BEST because they pre-
vent the mixing in Of small stones and
bits of earth, which cannot be taken out
with the fanning-mill. The floors are
generally painted black, the idea being
that black draws the sun. After beans
begin to ripen the field is gone over
about twice week until frost. This
work is done mostly by children-in
which 80 many southern Illinois fami-
lies are so prolific, some having as many
rs twenty-three to q family. Three broth
oAS uOWA euOI0 A6t0 U0bW00u k10lu 60V.
enty-two children, who have probably
gathered enough beans in their day to
furnish physic for the earth.
The yield depends much upon the at
tention the plants have received from the
cultivator, upon the season, and upon
the care exercised in npening and gath
ering. From fifteen to twenty-five
bushels to the acre is the average. It is
claimed that farmers do well in raising
this crop, as it is more remunerasivs than
many others. It is not difficult crop
to get to market, and can be taken by
team or sent by river or railroad. A
farmer, to make the production pay,
must realize at least $1.25 per bushel.
The Bass Drum ALL Right.
johnson was walking along Fifth av-
enve the other day with baleful glare
in his eye and an expression Of counte-